Wanderlust

It was rather an impulsive thought due to our wanderlust hang-ups to make Calaguas our next destination after the CDO-Bukidnon-Camiguin trip. Calaguas escapade is second to TBs many more travel adventures in the near (very near) future.

And so there we were, all packed up for a 3-nighter adventure to the remote Calaguas Island in Camarines Norte, Philippines. Travel Buddies, minus James (so sad), Jen, Neil, Gerald, Meng, and myself eagerly shut down our PCs on Friday night and shifted from office to camping mode. We left the office around 8PM and took a cab to Shell Magallanes where we met Grace, who flew all the way from Singapore to join us, and where the bus will pick us up.

The itinerary prepared by the tour organizer:

Day 0
08:00PM- Bus Station
08:30PM- ETD- Manila-Daet

Day 1
07:00AM - ETA Daet/ Breakfast
08:00AM - ETD for Calaguas Island (tentative) or side trip macolabo island
10:00AM - ETA Calaguas Island/ set camp explore
12:00 NN- Lunch
01:00PM - Siesta/ swimming/ explore/ picture happy campers
06:00PM - Dinner
07:00PM - Socials
10:00PM - Lights out

Day 2
06:00AM - Wake up call
07:00AM - Breakfast
09:00AM - Break Camp
10:00AM - ETD Calaguas - Daet
12:00NN - ETD Daet
01:00PM - Late Lunch
02:00PM - Surfing Bagasbas
05:00 PM- Rest
06:00 PM- Dinner
08:00 PM- ETD Daet-Manila

We availed this Calaguas Hullaballoo Island Tour package that cost PHP3,000 per head.
It’s inclusive of:

• Land and sea transfers

• Tent accommodation at Calaguas Island

• Full-board camp meals

• Environmental fees

• Free skim boarding lesson and use of skim board

Here’s their website for more info: http://melvicbrinas.com/
We definitely recommend them if you are planning to go to Calaguas. They were nice, generous people, and easy to talk to.

I was really excited as I have never ridden a bus overnight before. One of the many firsts I have experienced on this trip. They were all complaining about the bumpy bus ride, but I did not mind thanks to the inflatable travel pillows my dad gave me (a must) I was able to get quite a decent sleep. We stopped over at Gumaca, Quezon around 2AM for quick snacks and bathroom break.

The next stop was at Daet, Camarines Norte already where we had breakfast at Jollibee around 7AM.

After breakfast we rode the bus for a few more minutes to Vinzons Port where the boats that will take us to our paradise destination await. I was expecting a meagre boat as we have seen it on some blogs before the trip, but even as I was already on it and ready to sail I still can’t believe how small and frail-looking it was. We will cross the Pacific Ocean with this???

All our bags were put inside a big plastic bag, and kept under the boat to keep it dry. The boat ride will surely make you wet on some instances.

We started on the river, and then exited to the vast ocean. First time to experience this (second)! It was also my first time (third) to see a wave so big quite far from us, so big like the ones for surfing, and then vanishes long before it reaches the shore. You can see it on the part where the river meets the ocean.

It was a 2-hour sail on this small boat, but gorgeous weather. The waves were not small as expected, but these are normal. We did not experience the 6-8ft waves being narrated by some of the blogs we’ve read. The ocean was kind enough to offer us a tranquil motion to get us closer to the Calaguas group of islands on that day.

As our boat approached the beach, there were no words enough to describe the beauty of this island. We were more than elated with what we saw. It’s just PERFECT. Photos are never enough, really, to give justice to the charm of this place. I have seen lots of photos before and I could not tell what makes Calaguas so different from other beaches. Now that I have seen it with my own eyes, I know.

When we dipped our feet into the crystal clear waters (clearest I’ve ever seen!) and soft and pure white sand, we were just head over heels with Calaguas.

We chose our tents (for 2s), and had lunch at the cottage in front of our tents (we got lucky to occupy this). After lunch, we hanged out at the cottage, played with Beroushka’s Lomo on iPhone, and waited for the harsh sun to tame a bit before we get into the inviting waters.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY AND VIEW MORE PHOTOS.

Another trip to Puerto Galera that left me shaken by the biggest waves ever, but awestricken by nature and the joyful company I was with.

Typhoon Chedeng updates were a frequent sight on our monitors at the office - hoping it would not make its landfall on the day of our department outing, May 27, as reported by PAG-ASA. All our pleas and prayers drove Chedeng away and the day before our trip it was reported that it would not landfall on Luzon anymore. So our Puerto Galera department trip happily pushed through.

We picked Buri Resort and Spa to be our home for the next three days of our company department outing.

The group package includes the ff:

• 3 days and 2 nights’ accommodation at their nice villas

• Full board meals

• Round trip land and sea private transfer - Manila to Buri and v.v.

• Picnic lunch at Bucana Beach with beach hopping

• Snorkelling trip at Coral Garden and Underwater Cave

• Round trip boat transfer to White Beach

• 2 complimentary body massage

• 10% discount on any Buri Spa treatment

• Welcome drinks upon arrival

• Complimentary use of resort facilities and non-motorized water sport equipment

Buri Resort and Spa is listed as one of the Top 10 luxury resorts in the Philippines in WOWPh.com.

But before we reached this holiday haven, we endured a gruelling 2-hour boat ride from Batangas Port to Muelle Port via public boat because the private boat could not sail due to the weather condition (with Chedeng’s tail still getting in the way as it leaves Philippines area of responsibility). The boat ride was certainly the (second) longest 2 hours of my life. I was seriously scared out of my wits with the waves splashing everywhere even on the roof.

As we made it to Muelle Port, Buri’s private boat picked us up and we crossed the tranquil sea (thank God!) to the resort.

As the boat approached Buri, we were happy with what we saw.

We all stayed at Buri Villa which can accommodate 4 people, except for Jeff who stayed at Garden Villa by his own. Buri Villa has 2 bedrooms with a bathroom each, and has its own private mini pool.

Ours is Ylang-ylang Villa. Jen and I stayed at the main room, while Jhellie and Rachelle at the upper room. The mini pool was located behind our bathroom. So I just stay there when waiting for Jen to finish at the shower, and then just hop in when she’s done (just connected by a sliding door). So convenient!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY, AND VIEW MORE PHOTOS.

We also went to Coral Graden, Underwater Cave, Bucana Beach for picnic lunch, Bayanan Beach, Talipanan for the infamous seafood pizza and White Beach. Click here to see these.

Being a massage addict, I was so excited when we were told we are going to Malaysia for some spa pampering.

From Singapore (view blog post of the Singapore trip), Johor Bahru, Malaysia is just 2 hours away by land. That's our destination on our third day in Singapore. As we arrived Johor Bahru, we had a seafood feast lunch in Restoran Todak (blog post soon), and then we went to Rina Balinese Resort for a day of relaxation in this Bali-inspired spa farm.

Rina Balinese Resort is a one-stop nature spa which offers traditional Balinese aromatic massage, firewood herbal steam bath, traditional foot massage, sand spa, body scrub, organic facial, herbal jacuzzi bath, fitness program, fruit orchard tour, fishing, bicycling and other recreations. They also hold functions and events.

It is quite a drive from the city, far from the hustling vehicles and fast-paced lifestyle. Staff welcomed all of us with a warm smile, simple garlands and drinks as we arrived the resort.

Then we were immediately ushered onto the pool area where our feet were washed to get us ready for a nice Balinese massage.

I was so excited about the massage. And the moment I've been waiting for, Aika, Gianine and I were brought to this nipa hut for the massage. The hut waYour text to link here...s only covered with curtains, the wind gushing in, and you can hear the sound of nature, real sounds and not recorded unlike in the spas in the urban.

Micheal Bay, CEO of this resort, also a good friend of Tito Rene and Tita Ging, advised us that we only need to raise our fingers to tell the masseuse how hard or light we want the pressure of the message to be, 1,2 or 3. The massage was so soothing and relaxing. It lasted for an hour.

After the massage, the masseuse asked each of us to take these five pellet-like tablets. According to them, these should take out the excess air in our body. Good thing Aika understands Malay.

We did not wore our clothes yet, instead the masseuse gave us these long sarongs because we still have to go to the spring water pool and steam bath.

We rested for a while, and then we dipped into the pool. The pool felt so good and refreshing as the weather at that time was so hot. We goofed around and just had fun. From the pool, we went in and out of the steam bath for that detoxifying effect.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF THIS BALINESE NATURE SPA EXPERIENCE.

Singapore trip with the entire family has always been in our list because dad's brother, Tito Rene, and his family lives there and we've always wanted to visit. Mom and dad were able to go there a few years ago, but without us the kids. Now, it's a plan came true.

I've heard nothing but praises from friends who have been to Singapore. It's very clean, people are fair and disciplined, etc. A week spent there enabled me to gather my own 2 cents about this small but well-developed country.

Marina Bay

Our first stop as we arrived was at Marina Bay where we marveled at the sight of Singapore's high-rise infrastructures at night, and the Helix Bridge which Tito Rene's company designed and built. You can reach this by getting off at the Esplanade station of MRT.

The world's largest giant observation wheel can be found in Singapore - the Singapore Flyer. It will give you a bird's eye view of Singapore, you can also eat here while your eyes feast on the spectacular view at every turn of the flyer.

We had dinner at Makansutra Gluttons Bay. It is like Banchetto and Mercato Centrale in Manila where a variety of food stalls are waiting for you.

In front of Sands at Marina Bay, you can catch a Water and Light show. It's for free and it's really good. Show times are 9PM and 11PM.

A taste of Little India

The next day, Saturday, we we're supposed to visit Singapore Zoo but we woke up quite late so we changed plans and went to Little India instead. Little India has its own MRT station, so just get off at Little India and you're good to go. As we hopped out the train and entered one of the oldest parts of Singapore, I felt uncomfortable and weird. It's different. We ate at the food court where a wide variety of Indian delicacies are available. We loved the Prata, and this Chendol drink got mom immediately.

As we made our way out on the streets, I was awed. I felt transcended to a completely different land. I'm used to Asian countries with Chinese culture and people, but not to a place where Indian culture rules. I've never seen such sight, such rich and well-preserved culture. The infrastructures were colorful. There were a number of stalls which sell Indian products, clothings, food. Indian music filled the air. I was really happy I went here.

Seafood and Spa Day at Malaysia (side trip)

The next day was Palm Sunday so we went to St. Anthony of Padua Church for a mass celebration, and then hit the road to Johor Bahru, Malaysia where we feasted on seafood at Restoran Todak and had a taste of Bali in Rina Balinese Spa (view blog post about this trip).

The Malaysian trip took an entire day. It was tiring, yet wonderful. We made it back to Singapore at around 11PM.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF THIS AWESOME SINGAPORE TRIP. I'll show you more places!

The so called "CDO dream" now pushed through with two additional stops: Bukidnon and Camiguin.

BUKIDNON

Let me start with our first destination in our adventure down south - Bukidnon. From Manila we flew to Cagayan de Oro via Cebu Pacific - on a seat sale of course. On Lumbao Airport, around 7:30 AM, we were picked up by a van that we contacted ahead to take us to Dahilayan, Bukidnon where the longest zipline in Asia can be found. It is 840 meters long, and will allow you to fly 4,700 feet over the lush greens of Bukidnon. The shorter rides extend up to 340 and 150 meters. It will cost you PHP600 to ride all three. It seems long, but when you're nearing the end line you definitely would want more. The travel time (by land) from CDO to Dahilayan, Bukidnon is approx 2 hours.

James was the only brave soul to try the Zorb where you will be strapped inside a rubber ball, like the one we usually see in Mall of Asia where people watch you as you roll over inside the giant ball floating on a pond. Of course, we cheered for him and supported him in this endeavor of a lifetime. :p It cost him PHP350 to roll down.

For us who did not opt to roll down the hill, we rode buggies for PHP800 per vehicle. It is a two-seater ATV. There was a trek especially made for ATVs and buggies, and a guide riding an ATV whom you will follow. The trek was rough, and challenging. It was a fun ride and worth your money. It lasted for 20 minutes. Did I sound bias for the buggy vs the Zorb?

There was also a playground which brought out the kid in some of us. I asked the kids (actual kids by age) playing to spin the wooden wheel for me. They were quite obedient and I really enjoyed it. :p

After the activities, we had lunch at Forest Park Cafe. The price was not really cheap, but reasonable enough.

Visit lifesbestsecrets.blogspot.com for more info and photos.

After the Dahilayan adventure, we went to Balingoan Port to ride a RORO ferry to our next destination - Camiguin. On the way to the port we stopped by a pineapple plantation to take some photos.

CAMIGUIN

It took us 2 hours to reach Balingoan port, and another 2 hours in the RORO going to Benoni Port of Camiguin. The RORO costs PHP130 per head (one way). So that was a total of 4 hours of travel time from Bukidnon to Camiguin. We rented the van for PHP4,000 - CDO airport to Dahilayan, then the van waited for us while doing activities at Dahilayan Adventure Park, and then Dahilayan to Balingoan Port. Contact person for the van transport service is Mr. Teo at 0922 446 2656.

When we arrived in Camiguin, Ms. Aira and a van was waiting for us at Benoni port. They brought us to Villa Paraiso where we stayed for one night. The package we availed costs PHP1,295 per head inclusive of an overnight accommodation (2 rooms for the 7 of us) and an 8-hour tour (this includes the boat ride to White Island). The resort also offers free coffee all day. We arrived late in the afternoon and decided that hot spring was the best destination for the night to pamper our tired bodies. They brought us to Ardent Hot Spring. Entrance fee in the hot spring is already included in the package cost.

It was a very cold night and the hot spring was very comforting. The tip is to stay at the highest pool as this is the cleanest because the water flows down. It really comes from natural spring. We played charades and 007PAK! and just had fun while enjoying the hot spring. After more than an hour we left and rode the van while dripping wet. We were too starved to go back to the resort to take a shower and change, so we went straight to a restaurant called Luna Ristorante for dinner. The waiting time was unbearable. We were wet, cold and hungry. But when the food arrived, it was worth the wait. Everything was delicious from burgers to pasta and pizza. My personal favorite was Linguine Oglio Alio, my own order, of course. The waitress tricked us that the pasta order is good for one only so we ordered one each. When we saw the plate, it was huge enough to fill two stomachs. But since I was so starved I was able to finish my plate, plus I tasted others' too. From then on I vowed to myself never to deprive myself of eating whatever and how much I want while I am on that vacation.

It was definitely one of the longest days of our lives. After dinner, we returned to the resort, retired in our own rooms and called it a night.

The next morning we geared up to explore what there was to explore. We planned to leave at 7AM, but the weather wasn't so cooperative so we waited. There were 4 complimentary breakfasts, so we ordered 3 more because there were 7 of us. The breakfast costs around PHP130 per order. It's a typical corned beef or ham with rice and egg. While having breakfast at the bar, the sun shone and we became really happy and hopeful.

And so we hit the road, our first destination was the White Island. After an approx 15-min van ride we arrived at the beach where boats are waiting to take guests to the White Island. It was a very calm 5-minute boat ride to reach the infamous sand bar.

Click here to read more of the CAMIGUIN and the awesome CAGAYAN DE ORO WATER RAFTING experience!

Click here to view the rafting videos.

READ MORE ABOUT THIS ADVENTURE ON LIFESBESTSECRETS.BLOGSPOT.COM.